About three years ago, Ann and John Beutler decided that being No. 2 just wasn’t acceptable any more.

The owners of a Century 21 Real Estate office in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, called their staff together and announced they were all done with the company’s longtime second-place ranking among brokerages in their town. They were going to be No. 1, they said, and that was that.

"Coldwell Banker had been No. 1 for 20 years, and we were No. 2," said John. "We just developed a mindset that we were going to be No. 1, and we were there within two years."